Today, January 21, 2021, almost 300 district leaders met virtually for the M.A.S.S. Mid-Winter Meeting to discuss Emotional Intelligence with Marc Brackett. Marc Brackett, Ph.D., author of “Permission To Feel”, is the founding director of the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence and a professor in the Child Study Center, Yale School of Medicine at Yale University. M.A.S.S. has worked with Marc in the past and we were very excited to be able to talk, even virtually, given the challenges our school leaders are facing today
And Marc did not disappoint! Marc was an outstanding presenter on the emotional issues we all face and he helped us find perspective and tools to help manage the challenges we are all facing. Marc shared a wealth of resource in an engaging and thoughtful presentation. M.A.S.S. member left feeling “rejuvenated,” “inspired,” and “thankful,”
Following Marc Brackett’s virtual presentation, M.A.S.S. President Bob Baldwin, Fairhaven Superintendent, and Darcy Fernandes, Athol-Royalston Superintendent, shared their stories and gave an update to membership on the commitment M.A.S.S. has made a commitment to a Racial Equity, Diversity and Inclusion initiative and over the past few months has created both a “Standing Committee” and “Planning Committee” to engage in this important work. Our goal is to support our collective work at the state and local level
Closing out the virtual Mid-Winter conference, was Dr. Eric Conti, Superintendent of the Burlington Public Schools and the 2020 Christos Daoulas Award Recipient. The Christos Daoulas award gives recognition of the many contributions a superintendent makes to their colleagues, our association and the education community. Eric’s speech reflected on leading through a pandemic, while looking at the incredible work that was done and reflecting on moving towards the future.
“The examples of collaboration between districts in response to this isolation has never been more evident than this year. This collaboration and collegial support is something that we have to continue practicing long after the health crisis ends.”
“As we emerge from the pandemic, with different instructional realities brought on by necessity and a sense of urgency driven by safety concerns, what better time to rethink our priorities… If our only goal is to return to how things were prior to March, then we are missing an opportunity and we are not serving all of our students well.”
The morning was a great highlight for district leaders and a big thank you to all that attended.